Shine A Light

Tuesday, 8 February 2011

Werner Herzog is one of the most prolific and outstanding filmmakers still working today. His movies, documentaries, shorts, operas, teachings and general life story display an incredible perception of life and all the big questions that surround us daily. He is known as one of the most hands on directors, often literally putting himself through what he wants to depict in his films. Through his work, we can see a never ending desire for knowledge and to gain experience, whilst also playing with and developing the rules of film and film making.

His back catalogue contains some of the most vital and dynamic examples of what film can be. With Cave of Forgotten Dreams he has now taken a new medium into his hands, by making a 3D documentary that explores the incredible Chavuet Caves, in which hold the earliest known man mad cave paintings.

This film will no doubt be an extraordinary experience, delving into an ancient past with a thoroughly modern medium, with a genuinely visionary film maker.

Although, Herzog's work is perceived as very deep, serious and full of a sometimes overbearing art-house stigma, there is a lot of humor and playfulness in his films. Some of his style of humor can be seen in this fantastic short film where Hervog narrates as a plastic bag on an Odyssey into time and the meaning of life...

'you may be thinking, "hey, shut up and enjoy the sunset you idiot!", well I don't care what you think!'

And this isn't even Herzog himself, but it's just so good...

...a litany of dreary picture postcards sent from arbitrary locations the world over...